3things World News Round-up
The weekend's nearly here, but before you check out, check in on what's been happening in the great big world lately! As per usual, there's a fair share of scary stuff, but it's not all bad news - read on to find out what's up!
Vogue Blushes for the Assads
Despite being in the midst of a 16-month old uprising in which thousands have
been killed, including hundreds of children, Asma and Bashar al-Assad somehow still found time to make their way onto the pages of Vogue magazine. How did they do it? Well, with the help of a Western PR firm, of course!
It's recently been reported that the first lady of Syria engaged the services of a PR firm to help soften the autocrats' images. A flattering article appeared in Vogue which has since been taken the off its web site, but the Atlantic has graciously reproduced parts of it for your perusal along with a link to the full article, if you are so inclined.
Washington, D.C. PR firm Brown Llyod James disclosed that the Assads paid them USD $5,000 per month to act as liason between Asma al-Assad and Vogue.
If you're not up speed on the Syrian conflict here's a quick tid-bit
to give you an idea of what's been happening: Last week there was another massacre - the fourth in under three weeks.
It's possible that as many as 78 civilians were killed, half of them women and children, but it's hard to say because monitors were denied access to the site and could not independently verify the killings.
Needless to say, the "cease-fire" brokered by Kofi Annan has been completely disregarded and the UN has finally declared that Syria is in the middle of a civil war.
Planet Earth at the Tipping Point
Looking for bit of light reading this weekend? Something breezy and fun to curl up on the
couch with? This ain't it. However, it is super important and definitely deserves your attention!
The authors of this alarming study claim that Planet Earth, just like a smaller ecosystem within it, faces great peril when it's radically altered. We are very rapidly approaching the point of doing irreversable damage to our one and only home folks.
However, that doesn't necessarily mean you should start stock piling tinned food and bottled water in preparation for the apocolypse. What it does mean is that it's high time to get on the green wagon y'all - and bring your friends and family along with you too!
Geek Power
Finally, news from Geekdom.
You know those...'different folks'? The socially...'less-able' ones?
The ones with...'eccentric interests'? You know, the ones the who probably don't get invited to the parties? You should be nice to them. They're likely to be ruling the world soon if they aren't already.
Or, at least that's what you might think if you read this article about geek power and extended its logic a wee bit too far.
Not only is the new information technology economy being driven by people who might have a touch of Asperger's about them, apparently many captains of industry and other innovative people have been, or are, a bit 'off'. Dyslexia is, according to a science-y type cited in the article, more than three times more prevelant among entrepeneurs than it is in the general population.
What does it all mean for 'regular' people? Your future boss might just be that awkward kid you should add to the guest.
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The weekend's nearly here, but before you check out, check in on what's been happening in the great big world lately! As per usual, there's a fair share of scary stuff, but it's not all bad news - read on to find out what's up!
Vogue Blushes for the Assads
Despite being in the midst of a 16-month old uprising in which thousands have
been killed, including hundreds of children, Asma and Bashar al-Assad somehow still found time to make their way onto the pages of Vogue magazine. How did they do it? Well, with the help of a Western PR firm, of course!It's recently been reported that the first lady of Syria engaged the services of a PR firm to help soften the autocrats' images. A flattering article appeared in Vogue which has since been taken the off its web site, but the Atlantic has graciously reproduced parts of it for your perusal along with a link to the full article, if you are so inclined.
Washington, D.C. PR firm Brown Llyod James disclosed that the Assads paid them USD $5,000 per month to act as liason between Asma al-Assad and Vogue.
If you're not up speed on the Syrian conflict here's a quick tid-bit
to give you an idea of what's been happening: Last week there was another massacre - the fourth in under three weeks.It's possible that as many as 78 civilians were killed, half of them women and children, but it's hard to say because monitors were denied access to the site and could not independently verify the killings.
Needless to say, the "cease-fire" brokered by Kofi Annan has been completely disregarded and the UN has finally declared that Syria is in the middle of a civil war.
Planet Earth at the Tipping Point
Looking for bit of light reading this weekend? Something breezy and fun to curl up on the
couch with? This ain't it. However, it is super important and definitely deserves your attention!The authors of this alarming study claim that Planet Earth, just like a smaller ecosystem within it, faces great peril when it's radically altered. We are very rapidly approaching the point of doing irreversable damage to our one and only home folks.
However, that doesn't necessarily mean you should start stock piling tinned food and bottled water in preparation for the apocolypse. What it does mean is that it's high time to get on the green wagon y'all - and bring your friends and family along with you too!
Geek Power
Finally, news from Geekdom.
You know those...'different folks'? The socially...'less-able' ones?
Mark Zuckerberg
The ones with...'eccentric interests'? You know, the ones the who probably don't get invited to the parties? You should be nice to them. They're likely to be ruling the world soon if they aren't already.
Or, at least that's what you might think if you read this article about geek power and extended its logic a wee bit too far.
Not only is the new information technology economy being driven by people who might have a touch of Asperger's about them, apparently many captains of industry and other innovative people have been, or are, a bit 'off'. Dyslexia is, according to a science-y type cited in the article, more than three times more prevelant among entrepeneurs than it is in the general population.
What does it all mean for 'regular' people? Your future boss might just be that awkward kid you should add to the guest.
